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The Advice Smackdown Holiday Baby Gift Guide

Published 11.19.2009 | Permanent Link | Comments (1)

Let's be honest: your kids' toy collections are clearly divided into two categories.

1) Stuff they love, and
2) Stuff YOU love, and wanted them to love, but alas, they do not love.

The stuff in category two is the stuff that languishes in the bottom of the toy box or (if you're like me and simply CANNOT LET IT GO) get pathetically displayed on a more prominent shelf than it deserves. But it was so pretty! Or soft! Or unique or handmade! It was real wood, with no batteries, and it coordinated with the nursery curtains PERFECTLY! How could your children ever reject it? God, what a constant source of disappointment they are sometimes.

So...all of this is really a disclaimer for this Gift Guide. I could have filled it up with the stuff I love, the stuff I want my children to love. An expression of style and taste rather than a stupid shopping list. I could have done that. Instead, I'm going to be brutally honest here and list the stuff that my children actually love and play with. My children. Who have neither style nor taste. They like what they like. So I'm doing a list of what they like.

(Obviously, this is no guarantee that YOUR children will actually love and play with any of these toys, but hey, at the very least you should end up with some VERY GOOD IDEAS on what to buy for the children of Parents You Wish To Annoy With Loud Blinky Bloopy Things. Mwa ha.)

Today we're doing toys for the babies -- newborn to...I don't know. 12+ months. Young toddler. These are the runaway superstars of Ezra's first year, the stuff that I'm so glad we had for him, and almost of these toys are still in high demand around here. I've also included a few of our bigger baby bombs that just didn't go over as well as I hoped. (On Monday I'll post Noah's picks and pans, for the 3-and-up set.)

Little Taggies Blanket

Taggies seemed to hit the big-time after Noah's babyhood, so I wasn't familiar with the brand until my sister gave us a small blanket for Ezra's first Christmas. He was just over two months old and seemed to enjoy LOOKING at the brightly-colored blanket, but not much else. Some babies use them as teethers; he still ignored it. But I kept tossing it in the crib or diaper bag, and now he love it. LOVES IT. He sleeps with it every night, rubbing his thumb over a different tag while snuggling up with the fleece. It's a great transitional/comfort object for the car or travel, and I love the tactile aspect of Taggies. This is a go-to gift for any expectant mom or younger baby.

Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube

Another smashingly successful gift from my sister. Who, now that I think about it, should probably be writing this guide instead of me. I especially like that this a toy with some decent growing room -- a six-month-old will simply delight in being able to turn it on, a one-year-old will start experimenting with turning the different panels on and off, and a preschooler will finally learn associating the sounds and tones with the correct instruments.

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Puppy

Listening to Ezra play with this toy sounds something like this: HEART! RED HEART! HEE HEE THAT TICKLES I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU MORNING NOON AND NIGH- HEAD SHOULDERS KNEES AN- FOOT GREEN FOOT YOU'RE WONDERF- BYE BYE! ...And then howls of woe because he accidentally turned it off. God, he loves this thing.

Fisher-Price Interactive Baby Grand Piano

Noah received this as a gift when he was probably a bit too old for it -- 15 months and walking, no longer content to pull up and stand too long around stationary toys -- so we pulled it out as soon as Ezra was sitting up unassisted. It had to go away briefly RIGHT when he started pulling up (it tips over) and then came back once he got a little more stable. Noah was a big fan of his Leapfrog table, but Ezra has always, always preferred the piano. (Though you probably won't go wrong with either.)

Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper

I already wrote about this one, oh yes I did. It remains, BY A LONGSHOT, the single most thrilling toy either of my children have ever seen, next to those dang gurgling bubble tube things at the Baltimore Aquarium, which is to say: AAAAAAEEEEIIIIIYAAAAAYAAAAHHHHHBALLLS!!!!11!!!ONE

Nest & Stack Buckets
Nest & Stack Buckets

Okay, so there are easily about 400 variations on this toy -- nesting/stacking blocks/cups/whatevers. They're all just fine, and your baby will probably love playing with them, and they teach a variety of essential skills. I really like this set because 1) they're plastic and transition to really fun bath/beach toys later, and 2) they stack REALLY REALLY HIGH, at least to a baby and toddler, which endlessly delighted both of my kids.

Soothe & Glow Seahorse

I turn this toy on and he falls asleep. I mean...what else could you possibly want in life?

BlaBla Knitted Cat Doll

Okay, I have to be honest: I completely misread the price tag on this thing. I thought the first four was a two and since I was buying some gifts at the same time I didn't realize my mistake until AFTER I'd left the store and pulled out the receipt because jeez, that was more expensive than I thought it would be and OH MY GOD, I just spent $44 on a stuffed toy that my baby briefly smiled at and will now ignore for the rest of his life. Luckily, BlaBla here turned out to be Ezra's very best friend. His reliable Lovey, beloved probably even more than his Taggies blanket, dragged everywhere by his back legs, his face chewed on and squished at every occasion. It's a really wonderful toy. Uber-soft yarn and understuffed just to that point of perfect squishiness, AND machine washable (gentle cycle). Hand-knitted by artisans in Peru. They're available in so, so many adorable styles too. I will be buying one for every new baby I know, WHETHER THE BABY LIKES IT OR NOT. SO THERE.

And lastly, a few of our less successful baby-related purchases and gifts:

Graco imonitor Digital Color Video Baby Monitor: While the picture quality was comparable to other monitors, the killer problem with the Graco model is the CRAPTASTICALLY SHORT battery life of the parental unit. I essentially had to leave it plugged in all the time, as the thing would up and die without warning all the time. This is fine if you're using it only at night and can keep it plugged in on your nightstand, but if you want to move around the house or keep it in your pocket during the day (when the "color" part actually works -- it's black & white at night), the battery barely lasts the length of your average nap. We swapped it for a Summer monitor and were much, much happier.

Playskool Air-Powered Busy Ball-Tivity Center: After the success of the Ball Popper, this one seemed like a TOTAL homerun. Balls! Air! Music! Spinny things! Unfortunately, this is a terribly inferior sequel. Both boys mobbed and clawed at the box while I struggled to get batteries in and assemble the strange parts, and then I turned it on and...blah. I don't get it. They didn't get it. Noah stacked a few of the pieces for awhile, Ezra wanted nothing to do with any of it, I eventually reclaimed the batteries for use in our more popular toys.

Brilliant Basics Baby's First Blocks: I have a theory about these shape-sorting toys, which always label themselves as being for six months and up. No six-month-old can actually sort the shapes, but they CAN fling them around the house and under furniture and right in your late-night path to the bathroom, particularly the hard, pointy star shape. By the time your baby is ACTUALLY READY for a shape-sorting toy, all the shapes have been lost for a good six to eight months. So you have to buy another one. All of this is to say: This is a fine toy, but seriously, don't buy it for a six-month-old.

Born Free Teether with Gum Massagr: Well, Ezra liked it just fine, but I hated it. The "gum massager" part gets absolutely filthy -- ours picked up every stray hair and snarled them like a hairbrush, and every time I picked it up I had to bust out the scissors to cut freaking hairballs off the thing. Finally the grime and lint and STUFF got so embedded in the little silicone teethie things that I just chucked it. Basically: go for this teether only if you are an IMPECCABLE housekeeper, or your entire household is bald.

The Advice Smackdown Holiday Beauty Gift Guide

Published 11.18.2009 | Permanent Link | Comments (16)

I love this time of year. It's when all the cosmetic companies repackage up insane combinations of their best offerings and sell them at ridiculously discounted prices, all in the name of their "holiday gift collections." This year, I SWEAR, the deals are the best I've ever seen. So that means it's time for ME to repackage up everything I've seen in stores and catalogs and websites, all in the name of a vaguely-useful Holiday Gift Guide. Here are some possible suggestions for all the ladies on your shopping list, from best friends to teens to that coworker you barely know who still hands you a Red Lobster gift card and catches you off-guard and gift-less.

Or, you know, FOR YOURSELF. You know I would never judge.

(Yes, beauty does come at a high cost these days, but I've tried to offer suggestions across a variety of price points, and only one thing on this list is tops $100.)

For the (Wanna-Be) Natural Beauty

EcoTools Gift Sets, $4.99 - $16.99, ULTA

The key to looking like you're not wearing any makeup? Is to apply your makeup with the right tools. EcoTools are affordable, quality brushes made from recycled and sustainable materials. Plus, they're really pretty.

Smackdown_kiehls.jpgThe World of Kiehl's Holiday Gift Set, $45, Kiehl's

This gift would be especially awesome for your mom or mother-in-law or really, anyone who would appreciate a gentle nudge in the direction of quality, natural ingredients in their skin and haircare regimen.

Laura Mercier Flawless Face Kit (Original & Oil-Free), $65, Amazon and Sephora

I could sing the praises of this kit all day. ALL DAY. Ever since Sephora stopped carrying my beloved Sue Devitt, the Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer has been my go-to foundation. And the Undercover Pot is currently in the running for PRODUCT OF THE CENTURY -- two different concealers completely erase blemishes, enlarged pores, undereye circles, redness, sunspots/melasma...while a translucent powder keeps everything looking light and natural all day. The value kit also includes all the tools you need to apply everything perfectly and stretch your product supply for as long as possible.

Philosophy Makeup Optional Set, $78, Amazon, Sephora and ULTA

The name says it all, doesn't it? Yeah, for $78 this is a gift for someone that you really, really love. But seriously, giving the gift of Philosophy can change a life. Those of you who have made the switch know what I'm talking about, particularly those of you who have emailed me offers of your first-born children as a thank you. To which I say: No, not necessary, I simply suggest that you pay it forward by treating someone special with this set.

For the Serious Makeup Lover

smackdown_smokyeyes.pngSephora Brand Smokey Eyes Palette, $38, Sephora

Want smokey eyes but aren't sure how to accomplish it? This is a great "for dummies" kit that makes it all but foolproof. Get it for yourself or for your favorite party girl, or your best childhood friend in thanks for all of those high school sleepover makeovers she allowed you to subject her to.

Tarte Treasure Chest, $52, Amazon and Sephora

I must admit something: I totally already bought this for me, me, me. And I would buy it again, again, again. It's stunning. It's amazing. It's over $600 worth of makeup for $52. Usually I'm not a big palette lover because I end up using only a fraction of the offered colors while being baffled by the rest, even Tarte's more dramatic shadow and lip shades go on lovely and subtle, so you can mostly experiment without fear of looking like a circus clown. I'm especially in love with the Soft Pink Luminizer -- use it to freshen up that foundation that you bought in the summer and now looks too dark, or use it alone with some concealer or bronzer for a make-up free look. Bonus: Tarte cosmetics are completely free of parabens, phthalates, GMOs, and a ton of other less-than-desirable ingredients.

Sephora Brand Ultimate Blockbuster, $48, Sephora

Okay, I have to say that this kit is B-A-N-A-N-A-S. Like, it would so overwhelm me every morning that I would probably never manage to put makeup on again. The choices! The colors! The just-when-you-thought-it-couldn't-fold-out-anymore-there's-a-whole-other-tray! But I have to include it, because...well, it's B-A-N-A-N-A-S. You should not be able to get this much makeup for $48, especially when you consider that Sephora's store brand of makeup is ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD. If you want a total "wow" gift for someone this year, this could be just what you're looking for.

For the Hair Goddess

LUSH Solid Shampoos, $9.25, LUSH

Know someone who's just plain bored with her haircare routine? Constantly trying out the latest and greatest shampoo recommendation in search of true love? Shake things up with a LUSH solid shampoo, the little bars that are completely natural and last between 60 and 80 washes. Yeah. For real. Make your own little dream gift set by including one of LUSH's awesome hair deep treatments ($15.95 - $19.95).

Phyto à Porter Frequent Use Collection, $12, Amazon & Sephora

This mini set of luxury hair products is formulated for all hair types, but Phyto also offers more specialized sets for dry and colored hair.

smackdown_carols.pngCarol's Daughter Tui Hair Holiday Set, $37, Amazon & Sephora

Sumptuous packaging and sumptuous moisture for the driest hair out there. If your hair waves, curls, frizzes, breaks and bends, these products can help tame it back to soft and manageable. (And did I mention how darned PRETTY the set is?)

Ojon Winter Shine & Protect Ritual Kit, $44, Amazon & Sephora

This is one of those "a $100 value!" sets being sold at half price in hopes of suckering you into the brand. Feel free to cackle evil-y at the cash register because it's really just giving YOU the chance to give someone an eyebrow-raising, expensive-looking gift for under fifty bucks. Give it to someone with tangly, flyaway-prone hair and prepare to hear nothing but raves about your awesome gift-giving skillz all winter long.

For the Teen Who Wants Everything

smackdown_erbandecay%20.pngUrban Decay Apocalyptic Nail Kit, $26, Amazon & Sephora

My mom would NEVER approve of these punky polish colors, which is exactly why I've always been fond of giving them to my niece. You know, for her toes! No harm in a little Fbomb as long as it stays in your shoes, right? I still say it's more appropriate than Britney Spears' perfumes, at any rate.

Sephora Favorites My First Makeup Kit Deluxe Sampler, $32, Amazon & Sephora

Honestly, if you can ignore the "My First" bit of the name, this kit is a GREAT sampler for pretty much anyone looking to treat themselves to some new makeup and move beyond the Maybelline. If you've got a friend who is always complaining about her makeup or goes completely deer-in-the-headlights at Sephora, consider getting her this fun grab-bag of reliable little best-sellers.

smackdown_sephora_fagrancesampler.pngSephora Deluxe Fragrance Sampler For Her, $50, Amazon & Sephora

Wait, hear me out: while $50 seems ridiculous for a box of itty bitty perfume samples, there's more to this set than meets the eye. It's part gift set, part gift card, as the recipient can choose her favorite from one of the 12 samples and redeem an enclosed voucher for a FULL-SIZED BOTTLE. All of which retail at $50 or more, easily. Brilliant.

Ultra CHI Holiday Flat Iron, $119.95, ULTA

Look, if a teenage girl wants to flat-iron her hair, she's going to flat-iron her hair. At least make sure she's not doing it with a $19.99 metal monstrosity she bought with her babysitting money. Treat her to one of these fantastic ceramic CHI irons in six super-cute colors and patterns. These are usually $150, and for a limited time Ulta will include a coordinating nail polish. (Which: okaaaay, but hey! It's a $16 value!)

For the Furbabies

Pampered Pooch Collection, $44, Kiehl's

Sorry. Couldn't resist. If you've got a friend or family member who's delightfully insane about their dog, show them you understand with this gift -- tie a little homemade dog biscuit onto the package and prove that you're just as adorably pet-crazy as they are.

For the Secret Santa/Kids' Teachers/Holiday Hostess/Oops I Didn't Know We Were Exchanging Gifts This Year/Oops I Burned the Christmas Cookies

Burt's Bees Bee Keeper Tin Gift Set, $9.99, ULTA (or wherever BB is sold)

I probably own a good four or five tubes of Burt's Bees lip balm, but they are currently pretty useless as I cannot find A SINGLE ONE. They vanish in purses, into the bottom of my nightstand drawer, under the couch. Who would have thought that a brightly-colored lip-balm storage solution would be so...practical? Available in classic beeswax or an assortment, and a mini-purse version.

smackdown_lush%20.pngLUSH Little Gestures Gift Sets, $14.95 -$22.95, LUSH

I could have honestly included these in a bunch of categories -- who doesn't love LUSH's handmade soaps and bath fizzies? As always, LUSH has a ton of fun themed boxes and products for that tough-to-shop-for person. Got a non-Christmas-specific gifting need? Check out the more holiday neutral Snow Fairy and You Shall Go To The Ball, or Hannukah fave Better Than a Blintz.

Philosophy 'Twas the Night Before, $20, Amazon & Sephora

It's milk and cookies! Get it? GEDDIT? Okay, you get it. Got it. It's also shower gel and bubble bath, and one of those perfect gifts to have around in case of a holiday gifting emergency, from a last-minute hostess gift to the announcement that your brother is bringing his brand-new girlfriend of five whole minutes to Christmas this year.

ULTA 5 for $5 Mix & Match (only available in stores, sorry)

If you're still in need of some handy stocking stuffers or last-minute gifts and have already blown through your shopping budget, visit an actual ULTA store for their "5 for $5" display. It's exactly what it sounds like: grab any five products -- mani/pedi essentials, bath & body products, mini makeup selections, hair& makeup brushes -- and pay five bucks.

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ALSO! Sephora just launched SephoraClaus today where they will be granting one beauty wish per day (up to $150), until December 18. Get thee there!

How to Resist Junk Food at the Office

Published 11.16.2009 | Permanent Link | Comments (13)

smackdown_junkfood.jpg
Photo by bonimo

Hey Amy!

(Please read this parenthetical as the standard you rule, I love your column, your blog, and now that I'm pregnant for the second time I am loving Zero to 40, swoon swoon, you rock, The End.)

Now I'll get to the point! This is a pregnancy question, but it's a little different. Over the past 10 months, I have been on a fitness and nutritional coaching program. I lost 50 pounds but, more importantly, became much, much healthier. Thing is, while people really respected those decisions before, now everyone leaves me cookies, muffins, candy, whatever "for the baby." Seriously? I gained 60 pounds with my daughter, who happened to be 9.5 pounds and prompted the doctor to say, "Does the mom have gestational diabetes?" when she was born. I don't want to do that again. I'm not going to over-indulge in refined junk. I'm trying for a VBAC, so I can't have another big-bellied giant growing in there. I avoid feeding my daughter HFCS and artificial colors and refined sugar, so why would I feed it to the one in the womb? I also don't want to feel as fatigued and gross as the first time. But come on. Baked goods. They are like my siren song of junkiness. Put a chocolate chip cookie in front of me and then expect me to toss it? OH IT IS SO HARD.

Basically, how do I get people -- specifically office people -- to stop doing this? Do I wear a sign reading "I give birth to giant children, be nice to my vajayjay and keep the sweets to yourself" or do I just keep trying to stay strong? It's nice of them, right? And yet... NOT nice, because the people leaving the food definitely know about how I eat! What would you do, great Amalah? I have 27 more weeks of this!

Thank you, Amy!

Knocked Up in DC

Lemme tell you about the easiest 10 pounds I ever lost: the month after I quit my office job to work from home, BAM, the extra pesky weight just melted off. Despite THINKING that I ate reasonably healthy, turns out that I was giving into the temptation of vending machine garbage and the constant, never-ending buffet of the Donated Community Office Snack Table. Krispy Kremes, homemade cookies, birthday cakes, client gift baskets and catered meeting leftovers. Oh, God. All smacking you in the face every time you simply wanted some water or a cup of coffee. I was powerless. POWERLESS.

So there are really two problems here: you need to cut off the supply of junk food, but if that fails (and let's be honest, it probably will), you need to be able to resist caving in, or at least from caving in so often.

Number one on the temptation beatdown is BREAKFAST. Do not skip or skimp on breakfast. Hit as many major food groups as you can in that one meal. Eggs, fruit/juice, whole grains. Include a healthier meat, if you can, like chicken sausage or turkey bacon, just for that real feeling of fullness. Give into your carb craving (like by baking your own muffins) instead of denying it all day. Breakfast will help curb the morning problems of people depositing their junk-food offerings first thing. Bring along your own snacks that fit your nutritional guidelines for mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If someone brings you something processed and tempting that still has the nutritional info attached, I usually find that a few readings of the ingredients are enough for me to realize that oh...yeah...that sounds more like a science experiment than like, delicious.

But...haaa, right? Plenty of us can stuff ourselves to the gills with "good" stuff and then still manage to find a leeeeeetle bit of room for the "bad" stuff, even if it means a stomachache later. (And by "plenty of us" I mean "me.") How do you nicely turn down the junk food gifts from coworkers?

Depending on your level of familiarity, there is nothing wrong with just being honest. Try to explain that you and your doctor have a lot of nutritional concerns about this pregnancy and you're trying really really hard to eat a certain way. They'll likely assume you're worried about weight gain and vanity, and it's up to you whether you want to go into greater detail about the fear of gestational diabetes and fetal size or not. Exaggerate if you have to -- mutter something about preliminary blood sugar results and doctors' orders something something heartburn nausea something. Start putting the food out in a common area -- preferably one you can avoid for a few hours -- all the time, so people get the hint that you really meant what you said.

I will never, ever underestimate the depth of Some People's cluelessness, though. There are just people that you can (repeatedly) say NO THANK YOU to, only to have them assume that you didn't really meeeeeean it, and that they're still really doing something nice for you. "Oh, she'll never treat herself otherwise, soooo...." You might try redirecting their kindness -- complain about how sugary foods are upsetting your stomach lately, but oh, how you've been craving bananas! Or pumpkin seeds, or fruit salad, or peach yogurt, or anything they can grab instead of the giant-ass muffin at Starbucks for you. People LOVE hearing about pregnancy cravings, the more off-the-wall the better, and your office offenders might delight in indulging one for you, if you give them some prodding and guidance.

But take heart! I had a 9 pound, 15 ounce baby and yes, there was much discussion about whether I also had undiagnosed GD. (Noah was tested after birth and his blood sugar was just fine.) I did eat a ton of processed crap during my pregnancy, including plenty of HFCS and hydrogenated oils, since I was more than happy to cater to whatever food whim I had at the time. With my second pregnancy, I definitely ate better (though still far from "perfect") -- I ate a ton of what I could keep down (burritos!) but it was all whole and unprocessed. And while I still ate sweets and desserts, they tended to be more of the "actual real ingredients" varieties. And baby number two was a blissfully manageable seven pounds, seven ounces. So keep doing what you're doing! The occasional homemade chocolate chip cookie probably isn't going to be the end of the world, but you're definitely on the right track and it's worth sticking with.

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About

Amalah is a pseudonym of Amy Corbett Storch. A Washington D.C.-based freelance writer. The Smackdown is published on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. You can follow Amy's daily mothering adventures at www.amalah.com. Also, it's pronounced AIM-ah-lah.

Amy also documented her second pregnancy in a Weekly Pregnancy Calendar, Zero to Forty.

Amy is mother to delicious preschooler Noah and baby Ezra. NomNomNom.

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